Skank Sinatra
Jens Radda is a Melbourne-based actor, singer, drag artist, and producer. Growing up in a Danish and Afrikaans-speaking household, he moved to Australia in 2007.
His alter-ego Skank Sinatra presents an all too short hour of glitz, glamour, comedy and song set on a bare stage with just a microphone and an electric piano (yes, she plays as well). She is a trilingual Diva who understands her craft and has the audience eating out of the palm of her hand.
Skank takes us across Australia and back again and all the way to the Berlin nightclub scene, dotting her dialogue with Sinatra songs, but with changed lyrics. The songs include ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’, ‘You Can’t Take That Away from Me’, ‘Come Fly with Me’, ‘New York, New York’, ‘I Only Want To Be with You’, ‘The Way You Look Tonight’, and for those wondering, yes she does ‘My Way’, but wait for ‘New York, New York’ with the lyrics changed to ‘Perth’, it’s a riot!
The lyrics are skilfully altered to tell the story of her journey from WAAPA to stardom sung with a baritone voice which is like liquid velvet, equally matched to her own keyboard skills. The balance was perfect, one never over-powers the other, which is more than can be said of a lot of performers.
Jens is a such a convincing drag artist that I frequently forgot I was watching a man in a dress and makeup. She is truly beautiful! Everything is rehearsed and refined until it is perfect, the costume, the makeup, the voice and the script full of humour and no four-letter words. (No mean feat in this style of production!)
In a solo show there are no safety nets. This does not phase Skank who keeps the patter going effortlessly. The ruse of the lights failing gives her an opportunity to change into a magnificent white showgirl outfit complete with glittering earrings and necklace with fishnets encasing her long slender legs.
I particularly loved the Berlin rave warehouse story, well-written and delivered with flair; it was comedy gold, as was her interaction with the audience; a casual hand on the shoulder or sitting on a lucky young man’s lap. I found myself transported back to King’s Cross in Carlotta’s heyday.
Her boyfriend/girlfriend Iva Rosebud (also a drag artist) was waiting after the show to sell pink fans, an essential on a hot Friday Fringe evening.
There are not enough superlatives for Skank Sinatra, it is the best solo drag show I have ever seen. Skank is perfection, with a voice to match. Alas, there are only three shows, she deserves a lot more and in a bigger venue. Bravo Skank and Jens Radda!
Barry Hill OAM
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